ACL healed, Revis ramps up workouts

The Patriots have reason to believe they're about to unveil the best version of Darrelle Revis the league has ever seen.

By Jeff Howe

capecodtimes.com

By Jeff Howe

Posted Apr. 2, 2014 at 4:04 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2014 at 9:56 PM

By Jeff Howe

Posted Apr. 2, 2014 at 4:04 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2014 at 9:56 PM

» Social News

The Patriots have reason to believe they're about to unveil the best version of Darrelle Revis the league has ever seen. Considering how often they've run into the star cornerback during his All-Pro days with the Jets, that's cause for excitement inside the walls at Gillette Stadium.

Reinvigorated with a new start and pushing forward without any injury concerns, Revis' offseason workouts have dramatically intensified. The torn ACL, which he suffered in 2012, is out of his mind, and Revis doesn't need maintenance on any 2013 ailments, according to Brett Fischer, who leads the corner's workouts at the Fischer Institute in Phoenix.

And if anyone would know, it's Fischer, who has trained Revis since his junior year at Pitt. Revis has been in Phoenix for the better part of the past three weeks, arriving a day after agreeing to a two-year, $32 million contract with the Patriots, and the workouts have been impressive.

“Now that (Revis) is with a new team, obviously a winning organization like that, he's so fired up. To see the determination that he has, he's unbelievable,” Fischer told the Herald. “The fun thing for me is we're starting with a person who played this year with basically no injury, so we can take him to the next level. I think fans in New England are going to see a guy who is even better than in the past because he has rehabilitated himself from the ACL.

“To have him to the point now, we don't even mention the ACL. It's not even a factor. He's looked so well in all his drills. He's looked great in everything he's doing.”

Revis is gearing up for April 21, when the Patriots open the voluntary portion of their offseason workout program. He arrives at the institute at 8 a.m. and works on strength and conditioning, core, speed and power training until noon, when his professional chef prepares a lunch that complements his workout program. Then, Revis works on positional drills, which focus on increasing explosion through fundamental movements such as changing direction, acceleration, deceleration, backpedaling and turning.

Revis, who turns 29 in July, will also watch film of his workouts. Fischer said the cornerback will dial it up even further when he returns in late June after minicamp, as he'll extend his workouts and film sessions into the evening. That's when Revis will shift even more attention to his upcoming opponents, so this summer's homework will no doubt include the likes of Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas and other No. 1 receivers on the Pats' schedule.

“When Darrelle comes in the door, you never have to push him. That's what makes him great,” Fischer said. “He knows we're going to push him to the limit and get after him. He accepts that, and he wants that.”

Revis has actually been working alongside Patriots safeties Tavon Wilson and Adrian Wilson, the latter of whom has rehabilitated at Fischer Institute since last year's Achilles surgery. Logan Ryan was set to arrive this week, and Devin McCourty will join the crew in Phoenix after minicamp. Other NFL players there include Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson and Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Michael Floyd. Fischer has also trained former Red Sox Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller and Mark Bellhorn, and he led Stephen Drew's recovery after a severe ankle injury with the Diamondbacks.

But Fischer knows Revis especially well, and he has seen the corner return to the same form he displayed before the ACL tear, when he was a first-team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons.

It's a non-factor,” Fischer said of the knee. “He's back to looking great.”